Writing & StyleStyle guide

Using Go To for Menus, Tabs, and Webpages

Using Go To for Menus, Tabs, and Webpages records a distinct source-supported procedure-writing task while keeping adjacent UI behavior, accessibility concerns, and implementation mechanics outside the page.

Quick answer

Use “go to” for opening a menu, moving to a tab or another specific UI location, and navigating to a website or webpage.

Key details

Core Issueusing go to for menus tabs and webpages
Registertechnical and professional writing

Important caveats

Scope Boundary

A brief instruction can use “On the … tab” when it continues immediately; “open” has its own narrower uses.

Further guidance

Content

Use “go to” for opening a menu, moving to a tab or another specific UI location, and navigating to a website or webpage.

Purpose

This gives an input-neutral navigation verb for common destinations in procedures.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. Describing interactions with the UI — Microsoft Style Guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · Current Microsoft Style Guide evidence for input-neutral UI action verbs including open, close, go to, select, choose, clear, enter, switch/turn on/turn off, move/drag, move through, and zoom.

Related guides

Writing & Style

Using Leave for Websites and Webpages

Using Leave for Websites and Webpages records a distinct Microsoft Style Guide authoring convention and keeps it explicitly scoped to technical documentation rather than presenting it as a universal grammar rule.

Writing & Style

Using Open for Apps, Files, and Shortcut Menus

Using Open for Apps, Files, and Shortcut Menus records a distinct source-supported procedure-writing task while keeping adjacent UI behavior, accessibility concerns, and implementation mechanics outside the page.

Explore the topic